The Waterfall
by Wolf In The Night 199
Summary: Five childhood friends get together for a reunion, but get more than they bargained for when they end up in Middle Earth. Now, a prophecy thought to be fake, and a change in destiny means that everything they've learned, all they know will be rewritten, and all they've ever read about Middle Earth will be worthless, and everything will come undone with one mistake...
1. Introduction

**I only own the people listed below, my own children (not really, I'm 12-18 years old). My OCs!  
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**Summer Moon**- Summer is 18 years old, with golden blonde hair, and eyes that shift from blue to green to gray in different lights. She moved away from Porta to a college in Carson City, along with her older sister, Leira. She is more upbeat than Leira, but often drifts away, daydreaming.

Outfitting- plain white tank top, blue transparent shawl, calcei (Roman lacing sandals)

**Leira Moon**- Leira is 20, with dirty blonde hair and deep green eyes. She moved to Carson City three years before Summer, but doesn't act her age. She can be pushy and dark.

Outfitting- heavy metal band shirt, black leather jacket, knee-length shorts, flip flops

**Gabriel Graves**- Gabe is 20, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He was the first to move away, to Salt Lake City, becoming a comedian, librarian, and clown. A bit of a slacker and a "free spirit," he is up front about everything, and not very bright.

Outfitting- white muscle shirt, track shorts, sandals

**Alex Gregor**- 19, with shoulder-length black hair and green eyes, Alex is the calmest of the group. She moved to California and became an actor, taking stage in Hollywood.

Outfitting- black sequin-studded T-shirt, denim skirt, silver flats

**Zack Sands**- A scrawny, 18 year old boy with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. Zack is the most logical, though a bit stuck up, and stayed in Porta, being the only in the group who doesn't despise the town.

Outfitting- "The Big Bang Theory" show shirt, jeans, tennis shoes


	2. Chapter 1 Lost and Found

**I only own my own OCs. This is inspired by my friend dragonlady98's story, Lost Ones, so if you like this, check out hers, and see if you can spot me! Read the bottom for a special bonus. Now, READ!  
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~Leira's POV~

If there's one thing worse than high school reunions, it's being forced to go to one by your friends, even though you didn't go there. That is the story of my life. Dragged everywhere, been every boring place in the tiny town of Porta, with a population of two-hundred. In case your wondering, Porta, means "Gateway to." That's just how sad this town is. No one, not even old Gina, the hundred year old lady, knows what the rest used to be. Gabe, Zack, and Alex were driving in from D.C. to the miniature town where we'd all grown up, attended "school" (group homeschooling by Alex's mom), and ditched to be out of Dustdevil town, stuck in the middle of Nevada. Dust, hard dirt, and cacti were all that you'd find in Porta.

And yet, I'd given in to Summer's constant pleading. The only thing I wanted to do with Porta, was see a wrecking ball demolish the place. I pulled up to the old, rustic house, and Summer asked, "Isn't it nice that Mrs. Gregor called us to see this place?" I groaned, "No. It isn't." She punched my arm and glared. "I don't like Porta any more than you do, but don't we owe it to the Gregors?" I rolled my eyes; Summer couldn't really get angry at me. She was just pretending. I sighed and said, "Let's just get this over with, alright?" Summer nodded, and reminded me, "Just be nice to Gabe. I know you two still don't get along, but just be cool about it." I huffed. This wasn't worth it. Even if Summer gave me "the Look," I still would just stay in the car. When she slid out and I stayed in my seat, it came out. The Look. Her eyes grayish and sad, lip quivering, she stared at me for five minutes straight before I finally caved. "Fine! Fine, I'm coming."

She immediately perked up, and rushed for the house. Once I'd left the safety of the car, I noticed the house looked the same as always; faded brown, worn, and close to collapse. Before I could take a step though, I got tackled from behind. "Leira! It's been so long!" I pulled out of Alex's death grip and said, "Yeah, it really has. I'm surprised you're here, though. Shouldn't you be in Hollywood? I thought you had another movie coming out." Alex waved away the question and said, "Even superstars get time off." I grinned slyly and said, "I think superstar's overdoing it." Alex chuckled, "Hey! How many magazine covers are you on, huh?" I put my hands up in surrender and said, "Fine. But let's get in before _he_-" "Whoo, baby! Great to be home!" I shook my head and moaned, "Speak of the devil."

A rusty Chevy pickup pulled up, a brown-haired boy and a blonde girl with glasses on inside. Alex called, "Gabe, this is a high school reunion, not a party!" Gabe replied, "Anywhere me and my baby Lizzy are, that's where the party's at!" Lizzy whooped, her glasses falling off, and Gina stuck her head out from her window across the road, yelling, "I liked it better when you left, you little piece of s***!" Lizzy yelled, "Hey, don't you call my Gabe-i-poo that!" She threw a Mountain Dew can at the old lady and hit the ground two feet from the pickup. She must have been completely blind without them on, because she yelled, "Take that, you old hag!" Gina yelled a large range of strong insults before she finally yelled, "Alright, this is all my old heart can take! I'm calling sheriff Martins!"

Gabe got out of the truck and said, "Go on back to Salt Lake, babe. Try not to hit anything, cause I don't want my baby hurt." She blushed, crawled into the driver's seat, and drove off. "She'd better take good care of my baby. I paid a month's worth of jokes at the Comedy Center to pay for that truck." Alex and I exchanged glances; Gabe hadn't changed a bit. He looked at us, confused, and said, "Um... where are the welcoming faces?" I smirked, and said, "In the bed of that hunk of junk you call your 'baby.'" Gabe shook his head and said, "Still holding a grudge, are you?" I glared and said, "I was being chased by a rabid dog and you told me to try petting it to calm it down!" I showed my hand, which still had a large white area where I'd been bitten. He shrugged and said, "Hey, we were ten. One mistake and I'm evil?" I rolled up my sleeve where a long, pale cut ran up and down my forearm. "You convinced me to play cops and robbers, the jail being a roll of barbed wire, when we were 8." Before I could go on, Summer rushed out, Zack on her heels. She was clutching a piece of yellowing paper, and Zack tried to slip it out of her grip, grabbing her blue shawl to slow her down.

She got to us first, though, and said, "Guys! You know that old waterfall we used to mess around at? Well... I found the map there!" She showed off the paper as Zack complained, "I found it though!" "You pulled a book off a shelf, that's about it! But do your remember when we lost this, and couldn't find the waterfall?" I nodded. Alex had been trusted to guard the map to our nearly impossible to find hideout, but it had disappeared. "And look at this! Mrs. Gregor thinks the book it had been next to pressed some of the ink on our map!" She pointed to some weird shaped runes.

I asked, "What does it mean?" Summer shrugged and said, "I don't know. Mrs. Gregor couldn't translate them either. Just said that you could find tons of stuff in her library, but who cares? We can find the old waterfall!" I frowned; I recognized these runes. They were from the Hobbit. The map had been pressed against the Hobbit since I'd moved away, which was weird since I'd borrow the Hobbit from Mrs. Gregor all the time. But we were headed for the old hideout! Maybe this trip wouldn't be as bad as I'd thought it would be.

* * *

><p>Guess what? I was wrong! Again. This was as bad as I'd thought it would be. The hideout behind the waterfall was too small for us now, unless we wanted to jump in the water and swim into the cave. And again, Summer convinced me to swim in with her, and everyone else did, too. That's the thing with Summer; she can get almost anyone to do nearly anything. Proof: me swimming under a waterfall with enough water to pound me to a pulp. Once I'd gotten to an area where the light didn't shine on the water, I resurfaced, and I quickly noticed one thing about the cave. It wasn't ours. We'd spray-painted the walls with our names, and old couch cushions had been our beds when we camped out. This cave was completely different. This cave was completely empty except for a crevice of light. Summer and Zack splashed up, and Summer wiped the hair from her face and said, "Alex is dragging Gabe in. He 'didn't want to ruin his hair,' so she pushed him in and- What the crap?" She stared, open-mouthed at the cave, and Zack complained, "Did someone else find the hideout?" Gabe and Alex gasped for air, and Gabe immediately started cussing about two hours of hair gel appliance wasted. I slapped him and said, "Shut up. Look at the cave." Alex slapped the back of his head for good measure, and they examined the cave.<p>

I was fricking confused when Summer said, "I say we check this out. It isn't the same shape, but maybe water eroded and shaped it. It could have dragged off our cushions, and washed away the paint." It sounded logical, but something felt different. Wrong, even. But I wasn't about to let Summer go alone. We dragged ourselves onto the rocks, and got semi-dry before exploring. We checked every corner, but everything looked completely different. Though Summer's theory had been right, the water never rose higher than two or three feet. I was looking behind some rocks, and I noticed a deep slash mark in the stone. Before I could look closer, Alex called, "Hey, guys... I think you'll want to see this." I assumed the "slash" had been a shadow, and I walked over to Alex. She was looking out the crack in the cave wall, and stepped back, and she looked shaky. "I don't believe my eyes." I frowned; Alex was a world famous actor. What could rattle her? I stuck my head out the crack, the light too blinding to see anything at first. Then, I saw a long, winding river that we lined, a range of mountains, and a small town. I stepped out of the cave, everyone on my heels. Gabe's eyes widened, and he asked, "What the hell?" And for once, I agreed with Gabriel Graves. What. The. Hell.

**Hello! I'm having a little contest; whoever is my thirtieth follower, will be added as a new character in my fan fiction! So, if you have a friend, tell them to follow me, because I'm allowing them to bring a friend with into Middle Earth! Good luck, and "may the Force be with you!"**


	3. Chapter 2 That World

**I only own my own OCs and all the things they mess up, destroy, or conflicts between ideals, mine or yours. I hope you like my story, and please review!**

~Summer's POV~

The first thing that went through my head contained many more violent words than Leira had voiced. I thought, 'No way. I'm asleep. I must have fallen asleep in the car on the way to Porta. Or maybe I'd eaten too many chicken sandwiches at the truck stop. Whatever was happening, I was most definitely not seeing Hobbiton, or had just come out of a cave on the Brandywine River. It was all just a hallucination.' But I had to admit, this was pretty lifelike. The reflection off the water, the birds flying overhead. Leira was staring at the city, mouth open, and I realized she thought we were actually in Middle Earth. Big sisters. _So_ gullible. But then again, how could I have hallucinated the crack in the wall? That had never been there, but I'd walked through it. If that had been a real hallucination, wouldn't I have hit stone? And the water had been glowing as we swam... No. I wasn't buying it. I looked at Gabe, and saw he was smiling. Of course. He'd pranked us. He made enough money on his many jobs to pull this off.

I turned on him and said, "Okay, you've officially pulled your best prank. Ya happy?" He frowned and said, "This isn't me. I wish, but someone outdid my pranking. Alex? You've got the high tech Hollywood crew. You pulled this off really well!" He closed his eyes and put a hand on his heart. "I finally have something in common with you besides good hair, but mine wasn't two thousand dollars." Alex slapped him in the gut and accused, "You're trying to blame your stupid joke on me? God, you're dense." Zack said, "Hold on, everyone. Let us think logically here. We need to sort the data, and transfer what we know-" "Oh, save it, Zack!" Alex jumped in, "if we didn't do it, then it was obviously you." Gabe looked around confused, and said, "But I thought you did it!" Zack said, "Well, Leira and Summer got here fifteen minutes, twenty-two seconds, and 920 milliseconds late. They could have set it up in time together. They're strong." I smirked at him and said, "You said it, not me. And why would we pull a prank? We've never done one before, except small scale on each other." Speaking of that... I pulled my phone out of my pocket, put it behind Leira's back, and tapped the screen.

"Baby, baby, baby oooh  
>Like baby, baby, baby nooo<br>Like baby, baby, baby oooh  
>I thought you'd always be mine."<p>

Leira clamped her hands over her ears and moaned, "Make it stop! Now!" I turned my phone off. I hated that song, too, but not as much as Leira. Even if that song was a waste of a record label, the look on Leira's face made it worth the $1.99. After putting headphones on to ensure she didn't get pranked again, Leira said, "See? We only get each other." Alex said, "But then... we are the only ones who know this place even exists. That means..." Again? No way. We were not in Middle Earth. We were not in Middle Earth. But every time I thought that, it made me more sure that we were. I put my hands to my forehead and rubbed my temples. This was crazy. Insanity. When we figure out who's pranking us, I'm going to beat the shit out of them. But there was that little voice in the back of my head again. 'You know it can't be fake. You have been in situations like this before, but they've never felt this way. Defend ourselves. Protect ourselves.' Yep, I was officially bonkers. Completely nuts, and it seemed to be contagious. Everyone else seemed to be trying to find their own explanation, but they didn't have a better answer than I did. I should have let Leira keep me in our dorm. We should have just stayed in Carson City where crazy stuff happened on a regular basis, but not on this level.

How do five teenage college students get stuck in something like this? And then it hit me. "Alex, give me the map." She didn't move; she just stared at me, confused. I hate being a jerk, but I said, "Just hand me the God damned map!" She'd never heard me this agitated, but I needed to know. She handed me the paper, and this time, the paper wasn't white, but a deep shade of yellow, like parchment. And our crayon drawn map was gone. A single mountain rose, and elegant handwriting coated the page. But what interested me most was the shimmering words under "The Desolation of Smaug." I'd read the Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings. But the moon runes were supposed to be read only under the right circumstances. So why I able to see the glowing blue words? Leira inquired, "What the fuck?" I said, "Guys... we're not being pranked. No one can make their own world. Face it, everyone. We _are_ in Middle Earth."


	4. Chapter 3 The Beast Within

****I only own my own OCs. This is inspired by my friend dragonlady98's story, Lost Ones, so if you like this, check out hers, and see if you can spot me!****

~Alex's POV~

Never, in all my years as an actress, had I faced any situation like this. I'd fought with a baboon over the last long-john doughnut behind the scenes filming "The Jungle Book XXII," tackled a man hairier than a lion to get my favorite book, but this was a new one. But, then again, I'd only been an actress for three years. I said, "Um... let's just say that we're in Middle Earth. Would this be the Middle Earth that we did a school play about, saw the movies of, and read when we were in high school?" Leira still looked dazed, but she said, "That'd be it. And... there was something in the cave that was a bit weird. Claw marks in the stone." Zack cut in, "Uh, whether or not we're in Middle Earth, if there's something that can scar stone, I believe the logical option would be a tactical retreat." I adjusted my jean jacket; it was still cool from our swim, and now we'd have to go back in, and walk the five miles back. How long had we been gone? Half hour? Hour? Whatever the time, I knew Mom wouldn't be happy.

Once we entered the cave, I had no qualms about going back in, not after seeing that... whatever it was through the crack, a quick swim was no problemo. But as I lowered myself into the diving position, Leira jumped and exclaimed, "Stop! After what we saw over there, how to we know that the other side is still there?" She turned to Zack, and asked, "Can you dive in and check? You have the best eyes." Zack stammered, "Um, but... my... Ow!" Summer had stomped on his foot, and she rolled her eyes and impatiently said, "Ugh, I'll check it out." Before Leira could protest, she shed her clear, blue shawl and dove in. A few minutes passed, and Leira growled, "Alright. I've had enough. I'm going in." Suddenly, Summer rocketed out of the water, and landed on her back ten feet back. Leira raced to her, and I stared, open-mouthed, at the rippling water. It looked almost like the water was being shaken... "Um, guys..." Leira hissed at me, "Alex, shut up and get over here! You were the swimming director! CPR!"

I ran over and began pushing repeatedly on her chest. She suddenly coughed, water spraying, and she breathlessly said, "Run." She breathed heavily for a moment, then scrambled to her feet and ran for the crevice in the cave, yelling, "Run for it!" Didn't need to tell me twice. I was right behind her, and I heard one other behind me, and a... was that a roar? I shot a glance over my shoulder; oh God. A slimy green thing the size of a Harley, and looked like a mix between a dog and an eel. A dogish face, with tendrils snaking from its nose, a transparent dorsal fin, and a long fish tail still in the water. And the worst part; Zack was under one of its curled paws. He was frozen in terror, wide eyes staring up at the creature's salivating maw. I skidded to a stop just outside the cave, and saw Summer leaning against the caveside, catching her breath, when I hissed, "It's got Zack!" She immediately looked up and said, "Um, do you think if it's too busy eating him, the others can get by?" I gave her my best glare, and she muttered, "Hey, just an idea."

But then I noticed a change. Summer wasn't in her clothes anymore. And neither was I. She wore a pitch black cloak over a silver halter top and short, silver, pleated skirt, and the same sandals. Her gold blonde hair was pinned back in a curled bun with a silver... was that a knife? More knives, an entire set, lined her brown leather belt, long and curved with short handles. A silver quiver of black arrows hung at her side, and an intricate silver bow rested on her back. Silver armbands decorated her arms. And I was looking just as crazy. A forest green cloak and matching dress barely scratched the ground, a pole about as long as my forearm on a black leather belt, and my hair was now long and curly, making a curtain down my back. What the hell? I snapped back into what was happening when I heard a scream. I turned and saw Zack whaling on the fish-dog's nose with a stone, Leira trying to get the horror struck Gabe to move. Summer saw, and noticed the change in wardrobe, and commented, "Well, dream or not, someone knows I'm not dressing like you. Now, let's see if these knives work."

She grabbed four, balancing them between her fingers, and threw. They didn't hit the creature. One scraped Zack, but the rest impaled themselves in the ceiling. "Damn it." She grabbed a single one and it suddenly expanded into a long, curved sword. She roared, "Best dream ever!" And stabbed the beast in the chest. It gave a sound like a dying moose, bagpipes, and a revving engine, releasing Zack. I grabbed the pole on my waist, and it expanded, too; into a double-bladed battle axe, the pole now being the perfectly gripped handle. Summer was right; craziest, but best dream ever. And ran forward and threw my axe, hitting the thing's tail. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Leira was outside with Gabe, so I grabbed Zack by the collar and dragged him off. Summer throwing knives at it, but she must've been getting tired.

I called, "Come on, Summer! Time to ditch!" I'd gotten out the door with Zack when I was tackled from behind, then rolled off. I looked up just quick enough to see the rocks above the entrance collaspe, trapping us out here. Summer said, "Thanks for breaking my fall." I grumbled, "Your welcome." She stood, helped me up and said, "Bad news; we're not getting out. Guys... this is the real deal. No buts about it."


	5. Chapter 4 Separated

**I only own my own OCs **and all the things they mess up, destroy, or conflicts between ideals, mine or yours. I hope you like my story, and please review!****

~Zack's POV~

Holy. Shit. Some miscalculation, some missed variable. We weren't in Middle Earth, I hadn't almost been eaten, and I hadn't just seen Summer fight like Sarah Palmer from Halo. I shook my head and curled into the fatal position. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening! I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I tried to breath, but it wasn't working. I finally took a deep breath, and managed to say, "Paper bag." Alex bent down next to me and gently said, "Sorry, I don't have one. Just breathe. Don't worry. We'll get out of here." Summer cut in, "Um, not to be the dead fish, but a ton of rocks just cut off our way home." I insisted, "We'll find a way! Maybe... maybe we can get some answers in Hobbiton. We can stay at the Green Dragon."

I sat up and eyes closed, said, "But they'd notice five, modernly dressed teenagers." "Actually..." Leira's voice broke my terror. "We don't have our clothes on anymore." That sounded so wrong, I opened my eyes and asked, "What?" And she wasn't wearing her clothes. She looked like she'd gone on a medieval shopping spree. A sky blue single-sleeved top and a sky blue, skin-tight shorts that stopped just above her knees, and black flat shoes. Her long hair was in elaborate curls, pulled to the back of her head. A sword hung on her belt in a silver sheath, and a hunting knife strapped to the inside of her sea blue cloak. Alex and Summer were dressed crazily too, but Gabe's outfit drew attention.

Gold long-sleeved shirt with golden chains, a gold man skirt with a leather belt, and brown leather boots. Two mauls (long-handled war hammers) hung on his belt, and his sunglasses were gone, and a sun gold cloak hung on his shoulders. But I looked worse. I was completely in red, dressed the same as Gabe, except a chain-mace was on my belt. How I was sitting on something attached to my neck was inconceivable, but I had bigger problems than choking. I shakily stood, and I spoke with a voice just as shaky. "So... we go to Hobbiton?" Leira nodded, and I felt a bit reassured; she wasn't panicking at least. I realized I wasn't breathing again, and quickly sucked in a huge breath, let it out, and repeated the process.

A sudden boom from behind, and I whipped around, seeing dust cascade from the broken doorway. Gabe said, "Guys, I don't want to meet that thing again! Let's ditch!" Before waiting for an answer, he ran off, and Alex raced after him, yelling and cursing at him. Summer ran after across the plain, but I froze again. _'No. No more beasts. Just stop it all. I can't take it. Must be a logical explanation. A variable, a clue, something I overlooked. Maybe I'm dead.'_ Leira was tugging on my arm, but whatever she was saying was lost in my terror. I couldn't do it. I couldn't move. The thought of those open jaws just over my head, ready to snap me in half like a toothpick. Another wave of dust fell.

In a minute, it would be back, trying to make me its lunch. Leira's words suddenly broke through my fear. "Please! Move it, nerd, or you're going to end up as lunch! Come on, Zack, you've got to move!" I felt my muscles ease, and I ran as quickly as I could, which was as fast a fat goat, as Summer'd say. We ran, Leira easily outpacing me, and with a huge crash, I heard the stones give way, and the roar of an angry animal. In my terror, I doubled my speed, and didn't stop until we'd arrived in Hobbiton, at the Green Dragon Inn. I stuttered, "I... I don't see the others. They... w-w-would've met us back h-here."

Leira slapped me and said, "Get a grip. They're probably just lost in the Shire. It's not like it's a dangerous place." I muttered, "Yeah, that thing that almost ate me wasn't dangerous at all." She glared at me, but I realized; she was just as worried as I was. Then again, she'd always been protective of Summer since they'd lost their parents. After how they died... I shuddered. I couldn't blame Leira for being worried. We heard the door slam, and I whipped around to see if it was them. But it was only a hobbit. I'd always been fairly short, but this guy was tiny. Ruffled brown hair and feet big enough to fit Sasquatch, he was the most inproportionate homo sapien, or human _like_, creature I'd ever seen.

I asked Leira, "Is that Bilbo?" "No, you dolt. Bilbo never leaves... his house..." She cuts off, and suddenly runs up to the hobbit. "Where is Bilbo Baggins?" He, startled, said, "In Bag End, as he always is." "How old is he?" When the hobbit didn't answer, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shock him. "How old is he, you idiotic midget?" The bartender called, "Oy! No rough-housin'!" I power-walked over to him and said, "Sorry about her. She's..." I lowered my voice so Leira wouldn't hear, "a bit slight in the brain. She won't hurt him, though. Just asks random questions about random people she hears about. Well... would we be able to rent a room with this?"

I reached for the pocket of my jeans for some loose change; then remembered the switch in wardrobe. I stuttered, "Uh, we could help out in the bar. I can clean, Leira can... probably cook." The bartender sighed and said, "Fine. But call your mentally challenged friend off. An you'd best not make trouble for me." I assured him, "Of course we won't." "What did you call me, you pus-filled maggot?" Great. Just got us jobs, and she'd already picked a fight with a customer. I turned to see Leira tackle a now very sorry hobbit, and I turned back to the bartender and said, "Um, forget I said anything. Leira!"

~Time Skip~

"You're lucky I could scrape us a room after you attacked Hamfast. He's what, fifteen?" We were in the Ivy Bush, and after a few hours of cleaning glasses, sweeping, and wiping, we were finally done for the night. The room wasn't much; two small beds, an bathroom, and a small trunk at the foot of each bed. Leira hotly replied, "He provoked me! Did you expect me to let him get away with that?" "He said you weren't like most he saw! How is that an insult?" She glared at me and growled, "Sounds like your insulting me now." I hung my head a groaned; sometimes I missed my time alone in Porta. Wait. Porta.

"Porta!" Leira looked at me like I was contagious disease. "Um, did some of those broken tankards cut your brain. Porta is on the other side of a dog creature, a ton of rocks, and, assuming Summer was right, no real way back under the waterfall." I shook my head and said, "That's not what I meant. Porta is 'gateway to.' It's never made sense vefore, but now, we've passed through a _gateway_ to Middle Earth!" Leira looked at me the same way and said, "Yep, definately broke something." I hissed, "Don't you get it? The waterfall is the gateway. Porta means 'gateway to.' You think those aren't connected?" She seemed slightly swayed, but only replied, "We can talk in the morning. Then, we'll figure something out."


	6. Chapter 5 The False Trail

**I only own my own OCs and the destruction they cause. All conflicting ideals not intended. Now, READ!**

~Gabe's POV~

"I was too beautiful to die. Too young, too innocent. I had a whole life in front of me! Lizzy and I would've had so many babies together! A yard full!" I called out to the mountainside, echos all around me. The Snowy Moutains were cold and growing dark with the sun hidden behind their tall peaks. "Oh, shut it. First off, your 'babies' would be rusty old Chevaliers. And it's your fault we're stuck here. You _had_ to run towards the cold mountains instead of the warm, cozy inn." Alex sat on the cliffside, oblivious to the height, and was rolling rocks down the steep hillside. I tried to defend my panic rush earlier. "I thought it wouldn't like heights!" I was terrified of heights myself. She tossed a large rock down the side of the mountain, and murmured, "Sure. Let's go with that." She got up, dusted herself off, and said, "Come on. We'd better head for Hobbiton." I was terrified of the dark, too, so I dragged my ankle and dramatically cried, "Ow. Ow! Oh, the pain! I can't go on!" Alex called carelessly over her shoulder, "Then stay on this steep, dark, and dangerous cliff all night. All alone. Ba bye!" I put my ankle right and yelled, "Wait for me!"

~Time Skip~ ~No one's POV~

"Yeah, girl with blonde hair came through with a blonde boy. Girl was violent, but the boy was... civilized. Why? Did the girl kidnap that kid?" Alex spoke with a honeyed voice, "No, they're friends of ours. But did they say where they were going?" The Green Dragon bartender thought for a moment, but then said, "No, but but they were lookin' Bilbo Baggins. But he left for-" "He's gone? Great, now we'll have to catch up. Come on, Gabe! Pull your head out of that pie! Oaf." Gabe lifted his head from the blueberry pie just long enough for Alex to grab his collar and drag him out the door. The bartender called after them, "Wait! Bilbo's just gone... Hmm. Hope it wasn't important. Bilbo's just getting eggs from the Green Hill country."

**I am sad to say that since I will be busy all weekend, and can't add on until after. Sorry!**


	7. Chapter 6 Revelation

**I only own my own OCs and the damage they do. All clashing ideals are not intended. Sorry again for the pathetic chapter back there. Thank you, and read up!**

~One Year Later~ ~Leira's POV~

We'd been living and working at the Ivy Bush and occasionally at the Green Dragon, but never had I seen or heard anything about Alex, Gabe... or my sister. After 8 months, I'd given up hope. Zack and I didn't expect to get home; we just lived in the Shire, and that was how it went. We lived our lives, once and awhile checking the old cave, but even the rocks over the entrance was gone now. So we accepted we were trapped forever, and tried to make a life in the Shire. But I couldn't forget that my sister was gone, and it was my fault. But about a month after we arrived, a man arrived, a human, with scraggly gray hair and grey, torn clothes. He came to the Ivy Bush while I was sweeping, and begged for some scraps, saying he would give me something I'd need. I assumed the old man was crazy, and tossed him some scraps of meat, still on bones. I went back to sweeping, but when I looked up, he'd eaten every last shred; even the bones. He licked his fingers, then glanced at me. I began sweeping again, but he ran up to me, got in my face, and spoke in a strangely purposeful and strong voice,

"They cried to those from the waterfall,

and five answered the call.

The powers earned, found in test,

strength found within the quest.

A doorway home, if found victory,

fate unknown, unlike history.

Single man, twelve at side,

battling five, murder thrive.

And those from the falls shall lose a friend,

five becomes four in the end.

The last of his kind, takes his last breath,

and through-"

I'd pushed him away, and he'd stared at me, startled, and scampered away. After, Hamfast approached me and said, "I wouldn't worry over what he said. He said something like that about me helping a 'savior of many' when I gave him some old bread. Mother says he came from a far away place, and would tell fortunes. Then, he when mad, and became a beggar. But Mother says his fortunes were true; before he went insane." No matter how hard I tried, I could never forget his words, and I felt as if I shouldn't have stopped him from finishing the last line, but that was ridiculous. I couldn't forget his ramblings, but I soon forgot him.

Then, _he_ arrived. A strong man by the name of Thorin Oakenshield, checked into the Green Dragon Inn. I'd been cleaning the tavern when he'd walked in. I watched, open-mouthed, as he approached the innkeeper. Thorin said, "Excuse me; I need a room." He dumped a small handful of silver coins on the counter, and the innkeeper hastily scrapped them into his pocket and said, "Yes, of course. Leira! Get over here! Show this fine dwarf to his room."

He handed me the keys, and I quietly murmured, "This way." As I lead them up the staircase, I asked Thorin, "Have you seen the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins yet?" He looked at me, shocked, and I quickly amended, "Word travels fast around here." He said, "No. But I will be soon. Though I doubt any hobbit would accompany us." Once at the room, I unlocked it, handed him the keys, and said, "Thank you, sir." It took every ounce of willpower I had to say that constantly. Why should I show respect for someone who can't bother to unlock their own door?

But unlike my usual "No, thank_ you_." Thorin said, "Will you tell the innkeeper that I will leave early tomorrow morning?" I nodded, and he closed the door. I finished the day's chores as quick as possible, and rushed over to the Ivy Bush, where Zack worked. I called, "Zack! Get your lousy butt over here!" He nearly dropped the glass he was washing as he rushed over. He stammered, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break you desk!" "That's not- wait, you broke my desk?" He recovered, "Uh, what was it you wanted to say?" I groaned; of all the people to be stuck with. I tried to calmly say, "After I tell you this, remind me to break you in half. But Thorin is here! In the Green Dragon!"

Zack stared at me, dumbfounded, and I repeated, "Thorin. Is. Here! Snap out of it, you idiot!" He shook his head, and said, "In the Shire? Crazy." I looked away as I said, "Um, there's something I never told you. Remember when that beggar man came? Well, he... he spoke a prophecy." Zack's jaw dropped, and he demanded, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Something this important, and you don't tell me?" I protested, "I thought he was insane! And besides... I've never been able to forget have your order sheet?" He handed me the parchment, and I quickly wrote the fortune. Zack read it, and said, "Why kind of prophecy is this? You were right the first time; he's crazy." "Not exactly. Deris lost his mind to his future."

I whirled around, and saw a tall, slightly eldery man in grey garb and pointed hat. "Gandalf." I didn't realize I'd spoken out loud, but Gandalf took it as a compliment. "Gandalf the Grey, at your service. And as I understand you know Deris, I tell you that he is truly a good man. And before his unfortunate snap, he gave me this. You may wish to see it." He pulled a small, yellowing piece of parchment from his cloak, and straightened it on the table next to us, runes on the elder parchment. I'd been reading Hobbit runes for a long time, so I perfectly understood, but was still confused. I looked up at Gandalf and asked, " 'Flame, shadow, creature, mimicry, strength?' What does this have to do with us? We're just-" "Humans? Living in the Shire? Not from Middle Earth?"

My jaw dropped, but before I could question him, he continued. "I know many things, and you are not the only ones who've heard that prophecy. Deris told me the next he spoke those words to-" he gestured to the page with the prophecy written on it, "would ensure my next quest's success." I shook my head and grimly said, "I'm sorry, but that's impossible. Our friends died a year ago, Gandalf." Gandalf stared at me, and asked critically, "Did you see them die?" I frowned and said, "No, but-" "Did you see them in a situation where death was imminent?"

My frown deepened as I replied, "Not exactly, but how-" "Then how, Leira, do you know they're deceased?" Great trick; he knew my name. But my temper snapped. "You think I don't wish that Summer wasn't gone? Or Alex, or Gabe, the dolt he was? I regret my mistakes every day of my life! They would've found their way here if they had lived!" I slammed my fist down on the table, rattling the tankards on top. Gandalf turned away, his back to me, and calmly said, "We leave in the morning. You know the prophecy is true, and whether or not there are five, the doorway to your world is at Erebor." He turned back, and noted, "Leira, one last thing; you temper needs some work." And with that, he gripped his staff, and walked out of the Ivy Bush.

**Sorry I couldn't insert the runes. Fanfic wouldn't let me. :(**


	8. Chapter 7 Quests

**I only own my OCs and the damage they cause. Clashing ideals are not intended. I sound like a freaking commercial. Most of you will skip this. I always do. Now, go; stay away from advertised drugs that cause death and tip your waitress, but read this on the way. The next crisis; Reading While Driving. Read this, not your text messages. Talk in real life!  
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~Zack's POV~

How I find myself knocking on the dwarves door while Leira was watching off to the side. She'd called me out, and I stupidly took the bait. I woke up to Leira packing her bag, telling me to do the same. "Show some guts for once! I'm more of a man than you are!" Of course I was a man! Just not a buff, hot, or sexy kind of man. I was the man who could be an army commander, not a soldier. But brains beat brawn every time. I tapped lightly on the door, then quickly said, "Oh well, nobody home. Guess we'd better- mph!" Leira pushed me forward and my head slammed into the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her grin. I manage to protest, "Leira, don't do what I think your going to!"

She pinned me to the door, then grabbing me by the hair, hit my head on the door repeatedly. Forget brains over brawn. My brains lost, and are now scattered on the door. She dropped me and I cursed, "Fuck! Ugh, see? No one home. Now let's go-" Wrong again. An sword blade was all that protruded from the crack in the door, aimed an inch from my forehead. A voice warned, "Move, and you're a dead man." I weakly joked, "I like my life, so I'll stay still. But she's the one who wants to talk to you! I'm an innocent bystander!" A second blade appeared, but it wasn't pointed at Leira. It was also on me. "Oh, come on! I just said I'm not involved!" A sharp slap to the back of the head made me pull away as Leira corrected, "Yes you are!"

I looked up pleadingly, but she ignored me and looked at the sword's owner and demanded, "Put those fucking things away. I'm here to talk to Thorin Oakenshield, and if you don't let me in, I will throw the idiot on the floor through the door, and the innkeeper will throw you out on the curb. With your quest beginning tomorrow, you're going to want a full night's sleep on a bed. So... will you let me in?" I shook my head; she was going to have at least two holes in her chest in five, four, three, two, one... The blades pulled back, and the door opened. Why did everything work when she threatened people? A dwarf in dark clothes with brown hair asked suspiciously, "What is your business with me?"

Leira confidently answered, "Leira Moon of Porta and Zack Sands of Porta, at your service." I was barely to my feet when she pushed my back and made me lean forward in a bow, she doing the same. Leira continued, "Here to confer with Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, about the quest to Erebor you currently strive to complete. We offer our services." Our services? What could I do that these dwarves couldn't? Then I remembered when we first emerged from the cave, dressed for battle. What did it mean? Were we meant to go with Thorin and Company? The dwarf nodded and said, "You may speak with him. We need all the help we can get. I am Thorin, but you already know that."

~Leira's POV~

I've always had that uncanny ability to make people listen. True, it often involves threats, but it works. I walked past It was silent when Zack asked, "Why do you have such crazy hair? And what's with the beards?"

I quickly twisted his ear and he squealed; he was such a baby. I hissed into his ear, "Mind your manners, twit." He pressed his lips together, and I assumed he was submitting, so I released. I saw Thorin again on the other side of the room, sitting on the bed. He had shed his furs and weapon belt, but he held an axe in his hands. I smiled, bowed, and spoke as I rose. "Oakenshield, I have learned of your endeavors to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, and I offer any assistance possible to help your quest." Thorin laughed softly and lowered his axe.

He questioned, "And what can you offer that will tempt me?" I smiled; ten years of fistfights, fencing, and a good few bar fights broken up in the inns were about to pay off. I smiled, challenging him, and said, "Why don't one of you swing an axe at me and find out." A slight smile tugged at the corner of the dwarf's mouth, and he stood from his chair. "As you wish." He stood and tossed his axe from hand to hand and shook his head as he asked, "You sure? I wouldn't want to hurt you." I laughed and taunted him, "If only I would say the same to you. Come at me already."

That did it. Thorin rushed at me, holding the axe for a side strike, but I dropped to one knee, and grabbed the end of the axe, slamming it into his chest, then ripping it out of his hands. I held the axe at his neck and said, "Want to try again? Because I'd happily oblige, as long as you aren't afraid of a girl." He yanked his axe away, then took a step away, but then tried to catch me off guard from the right, but I swerved. Sad. Just sad. I jumped on the chair, over Thorin, which wasn't too hard, and put an arm around his head in a headlock, and the other grappled the axe from his hands. I confidently said, "Had enough?"

The Thorin's face was entertaining a light smile as he ordered, "You may come to the meeting tomorrow. The Company will decide if you are prepared. But tell me; what is your name?" I grinned as I replied, "Leira. Leira Moon. But sadly, I can't go unless I bring him." I glared pointedly at Zack. He gulped and volunteered, "I could help! I'm a genius! I could figure out any puzzles or traps we encounter!" Thorin uncertainly said, "You may come, but you too will be tested." I couldn't have cared if the building came down at that moment. We were halfway there; I was practically in, but Zack was my worry.

**Sorry if you wanted to hear Zack's trial, but I didn't have many ideas, so I'll fix it once I've finished and I'm just reviewing the story. And Zack, if you're reading this, remember: the pointy end isn't the side you grab. He made that mistake once; don't think I'm a liar. Lucky him, it was plastic. :)**


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